


One by Three

by tanyart



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Confessions, M/M, Protective Siblings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-23
Updated: 2013-10-23
Packaged: 2017-12-30 06:03:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1014991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tanyart/pseuds/tanyart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: Jean realizes he’s into Eren around the same time Mikasa and Armin realize it. Sibling protectiveness ensues.</p>
            </blockquote>





	One by Three

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Endy!

Most of the time, Jean prided himself on being self-aware – but now he wasn’t so sure.  He really shouldn’t have been surprised.  It was bad enough realizing he was  _maybe-sort-of_ attracted to an idiot like Eren, but it was just the kind of luck he would have when the two most crucial people in Eren’s life knew about it too.  Jean wasn’t even sure how it happened, the attraction or the apparent  _showing_  of attraction, but somehow both Armin and Mikasa caught wind of it the same time he did. 

Which, of course, complicated things by tenfold.  

It was like trying to take on three people at once rather than trying to deal with the crush on the one person.  Eren could grin at him for no reason at all and Jean would smile confusedly back then stop in mid lip twitch at the sight of Mikasa looking at him.  Jean had never gotten Mikasa to stare that intensely at him before, and normally he would be over the moon about it, but the more it happened the more he realized her stare was like looking at the wrong end of a loaded rifle. This was not the type of attention he wanted from Mikasa.  This was not the type of attention  _anyone_  wanted from Mikasa.

“You’ve seen how she is with Eren,” Armin said, one night after dinner.  “Mikasa and Eren are family, and he’s important to her.”

They were alone.  Jean wasn’t sure how he had been lead to one of the empty corridors, far away from the barracks.  He suspected premeditated play on Armin’s part, and Jean didn’t doubt for a second their coincidental meeting had less to do with Mikasa glaring at him and more about Eren.

“Yeah, I understand that,” he said, trying to sound as neutral as possible without outright confessing to anything.

 Armin glanced up at him. This time, it wasn’t like staring at the wrong end of a rifle; Jean likened it to standing in front of a wide chasm filled with dark horrible possibilities.

“And Eren’s important to me too,” Armin said with a smile.  

Jean guessed this was Armin’s gentle way of threatening him too.  “I  _really_  understand that, believe me.”

“That’s good.” Armin scratched the back of his neck, a surprisingly bashful gesture.  “We don’t mean to be hard on you.” 

There wasn’t a hint of an apology in his voice, only a promise.  Jean started walking back to the barracks, ignoring the fact that Armin was keeping up with him.  He wasn’t  _exactly_  running away, but he was on nervous energy now, a kind of growing agitation with everything in general.  Why him?  How did  _they_  know and not Eren? 

“Yeah, well, it’ll be worth it,” he said, exasperated, and then immediately put a hand to his forehead and dragged it down his face.  

Armin blinked, just as startled.  “Ah.”

Jean didn’t like to think that he had just accidentally committed himself to something, but whatever it was, Armin let out of breath of laughter like there was hope for him after all.

“Worth it?  I’m glad you think so, Jean.  I really do.”

* * *

It was days later when Eren finally pulled Jean aside, just behind the stables after morning recon drills.  Out of habit, Jean glanced over his shoulder but for some reason Mikasa and Armin were nowhere to be found. The lack of glaring and thinly insinuated threats was unusual enough that he turned back to Eren with growing alarm. 

“Look, I know that Mikasa and Armin have been giving you trouble,” Eren said, taking on that wide aggressive stance of his, which was odd because what came out of his mouth next was, “And I’m sorry.  I think it’s my fault.”

There were a number of things Jean thought Eren would say; apologizing was always within the top ten fantasies Jean would have  _liked_  but never expected as a general rule. He stared, suspicious, and felt a vague sense of impending disaster.  “What did you do.”

Eren frowned, apparently not liking Jean’s accusing tone, but he seemed to remember that he was the one apologizing and gritted his teeth.

“I told them that I  _liked_  you.  A lot,” he said, managing to blush and look incredibly peeved at the same time.  “And I think they are trying to protect me.”

It was almost insulting how aggravated Eren looked, but for once Jean could sympathize with the entire situation.  There was also the confession, the words sending a tiny jolt through Jean’s whole body –  _he likes me, too_  – and he tried to will away the need to blurt out a similar acknowledgment. Disbelief and annoyance were easier emotions to fall back on. He grabbed Eren’s arm, well aware that Eren’s hand was curled into a fist like he wanted to throw a punch.  If anything, taking Eren by the elbow was a precaution.

“You told _them_ ,” Jean began, incredulous, “but you didn’t tell  _me_?”

“What?  Of course I told them.  And I’m getting to you!”  Eren eyes narrowed, glancing momentarily at Jean’s hand slipping down to his wrist, and he hissed in frustration.  “I mean, I already have.  Weren’t you listening?  I like you.”

“And  _that’s_  why Mikasa and Armin were hounding me down?”

“Yes, and I couldn’t figure out why you were just taking it,” Eren said, fingers curling loosely over Jean’s own.  He stared at their hands.  “But I think I know now.”

“Yeah.”  Jean tightened his grip and then let go.  It was admission enough, though he was sure he was bound to say it out loud as well.

Looking relieved, Eren shook his head with a wry smile. “Haha, they must have given you so much trouble.”

Jean winced.  “They probably are going to be even worse now.”

Eren grinned, touching the back of Jean’s hand in quick reassurance.  ”At least you know what you’re getting into.”

It was going to be worth it after all.


End file.
